The Fountains of Paradise cover art

The Fountains of Paradise

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Fountains of Paradise

By: Arthur C. Clarke
Narrated by: Mike Grady
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £13.23

Buy Now for £13.23

In the 22nd century visionary scientist Vannevar Morgan conceives the most grandiose engineering project of all time, and one which will revolutionise the future of humankind in space: a Space Elevator, 36,000 kilometres high, anchored to an equatorial island in the Indian Ocean.

©1979 Arthur C. Clarke (P)2013 W F Howes Ltd Science Fiction
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
If you have ever been to enchanting Sigiriya, central Sri Lanka, this book would be doubly appreciated as it is set around that rock, gardens and its history... A wonderful novel that intertwines real history in various forms, a grandiose technical engineering project (and visionary topic for 1980), an excellent audible ("British") narration too (thankfully not an American reciting) but only marred abit by bad pronunciations of local language names and terms (quaint is not the word!), alas. The narrator, who I like alot, would have done better to talk to any Sri Lankan before his attempt as it would have really topped off this anyway lovely audio book.

A wondeful sci-cum-history book, classic AC!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Not a huge number of twists and turns so a little dull but an interesting idea of how the first space elevator will be built

Good book if a little unexciting,

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narration was unobtrusive, and that is a good thing.

The story was not the best in the world, not all that much happened, but listening to it while planing and sanding lots of wood made the job speed by and kept my mind off my aching limbs.

It reminded me a little of another of his stories (Ghost of the Grand Banks?) about the Titanic, where a slightly flimsy story served as the skeleton for the ideas A.C. Clarke wanted to present.

I enjoyed it though will not find the need to listen to it again.

I enjoyed it - not much of a story though

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
AC Clarke at his best. Full of scientific fact and some excellent old sci fi story links. Well narrated.

Brilliant story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fantastic story fantastically read. One of the best audio books I have listened to. And I've listened to a lot!

Arthur C Clarke at his best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews